Bullets To Bottles
by El Chacal
Summary: Set after the end of S6. In the wake of tragedy, deals are struck and a Son runs for his life and salvation. Please R&R if possible.
1. Chapter 1

Bullets To Bottles

By: El Chacal

Summary: Set after the end of S6. In the wake of tragedy, deals are struck and a Son runs for his life and salvation.

Disclaimer: Apart from the OCs and the story idea, everything else that belongs to Kurt Sutter belongs to Kurt Sutter. No infringement is being made nor am I making money off of this. OK? Are we clear? Good.

A/n: This is an alternate universe story. There will be some parallels between this story and the show. If you don't like it, go read something else. Don't shoot down my story in the reviews please. BTW, there will be a vague connection between this story and my other one called Bereavement, which is a BwE/SoA crossover.

* * *

"How long before they get here, Lino?" Coyote asked. It had been a long ride from New York and Chicago for the SAMYORK Secretary and the SAMCAGO Sgt. at Arms so both were wondering why Bobby from SAMCRO was calling them down to Indian Hills, Nevada. Jury welcomed them and helped them settle in as they waited. "Relax, Coyote. If they were understanding enough to meet here instead of California, SAMCRO is not going to start anything."

Coyote nodded in acknowledgment to his Chicagoan brother in arms.

"Looks like they're here." Lino said, pointing over to the bearded Bobby who walked into the clubhouse with Rane Quinn, Montez, Hopper and West.

Bobby, along with the Nomad President and the three recent transfers to SAMCRO, greeted the New Yorker and the Chicagoan with brotherly embraces before they sat down. Before they

started talking, Coyote waved over one of the sweet butts. "Kaitlin, bring us over a bottle of Bacardi Gold and 7 shot glasses please." The woman had dark hair, fair skin and a pair of perky double G breasts stuffed into a tight tank shirt and a pair of shorts that emphasized her round ass and toned thighs.

"Sure thing, Coyote." Kaitlin said with a wink as she sauntered to the bar. Bobby smirked. "You sure know how to make yourself at home, don't you, Coyote?"

"Naw. She hasn't tried her luck. She has been respectful and hospitable since Lino and I got here. Kaitlin knows that Lino and I got Old Ladies back home."

"Besides, Kaitlin's got nothing over Gloria and Angie." Lino said, getting a laugh from Coyote, Quinn, Bobby and the others.

After bringing over the rum and shot glasses, Kaitlin kissed Coyote on the cheek and whispered something into his ear before walking away.

"Do you know what happened?" Quinn asked.

Coyote and Lino shook their heads. "Jax's Old Lady died a few days ago." The Nomad President replied grimly. "The doctor?" Lino asked. Montez nodded. "Yeah. Teller's still grieving about it."

"Do you guys have any suspicions?" Coyote asked. He once saw her in Chicago but not so well that they spoke together. So having done the math in his head, she was still young.

Hopper shook his head. "We got nothing."

"Where is he now?" Coyote asked, imagining that things could not get any worse.

"He's in federal prison, serving out a sentence that might end in 7 years if he's lucky or will end only after 25 years. Jax made the big sacrifice play for us and his kids." Coyote winced. He could not recall a time in either Chicago or New York where the president went to jail to save the club.

"New York and Chicago sends their deepest condolences to Jax and his kids." Coyote said before diving right into business. "Why ask us to come all the way out here to Vegas?"

"With everything going on in California, we thought to get away from NorCal for a while." Bobby said. "We hear that Chicago and New York are making serious bank with importing from Canada, Europe and Cuba along with your blind pigs around town for distribution. SAMCRO is thinking about getting in on it."

"Do you have any stable business and residential fronts that you can use for the speaks?"

"There are some places in Lodi and Stockton we got that can be useful."

Just as Coyote was about to ask what they were planning to order, his prepaid cell phone rang. Excusing himself from the conversation, Coyote walked outside and answered the phone.

"Hello? Hey. It's been a long time. Yeah. Angie's good. The girls are growing up to be as beautiful as their mother. What's up with you?" Coyote listened for a few minutes and said, "Do not make me regret this." Hanging up, Coyote cursed under his breath before going back inside. Despite what he just heard, Coyote recalled what The Caveman told him many years ago.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary men is that one avoided trouble while the other took trouble and turn it to one's advantage.

Rejoining the conversation, Lino brought Coyote up to speed. SAMCRO wanted 5 cases of Irish whiskey from Dublin and 5 cases of rum from Havana to be brought from New York to Charming. Chicago was ready to bring down the same number of crates in rye and scotch from Canada and Scotland to Charming.

"SAMYORK will be more than ready to deliver. All the same, if SAMCRO wants in on this business, I have two conditions that are crucial to its success or failure."

"What are they?" Bobby asked.

"I need a member of SAMCRO of my choosing to transfer from the Redwood Original to the New York Crew."

"You sound like you already have one in mind." Quinn said, knowing not to inquire right away.

"Yes, Quinn, I do." Coyote said to the Nomad President before turning back to Bobby. "With Jax in the hoosegow, who holds rank in Charming?"

"Bobby holds the gavel in NorCal." Hopper said, answering the question for Quinn, who nodded in confirmation. Coyote looked at him and said, "The member I choose for the transfer is not to be harmed in any way."

Coyote wrote down the name of the member on a napkin and slid it over to the interim President of SAMCRO, who looked at it and then at him. "You sure about this?"

"If he's still breathing, we are in business. If not, you can always take a chance at trucking tequila and mezcal from Mexico."

Bobby chuckled. "I was read up on you, kid. You've done good by the club but do not forget who you're talking to."

"I got all the respect in the world for you, Bobby. It's only in SAMCRO that I do not have much faith or confidence in, that's all."

Seeing how things were going south, Quinn interjected. "Coyote, Lino, there is something else I want to discuss. Members from the Nomad charter heard about the things going on up North and in the Midwest. They're looking to sell their American-made Moonshine in Chicago, Philly and New York."

"Who's looking to sell and to where?" Coyote asked.

"Swamp Man wants to sell in Chicago. Snake Doctor wants to reach out from Laurel County to Philly. Sharky & Iron Man want to expand from Tallahassee to New York, Coyote. Legit shine is their business and they're all thinking of getting into it. I talked with Harris in Chicago and Albino in New York. They say the two of you are their best at dealing with importation and setting up distribution. What do you say?"

Coyote and Lino looked at each other silently before they shook hands with Bobby and Quinn. "It's a deal." Lino had contacts in Philly and back home in Chicago so he could easily take care of Aaron and Hank. Coyote knew Sam and Vince well enough to trust them with his life and he once tried their Lime Surprise. It was good enough to sell in the Big Apple and turn a healthy profit.

"We'll get your guys squared away once we got Lodi and Stockton wrapped up in a pretty bow." Coyote said as he poured 7 half shots of rum and handed them out to SAMCRO, Quinn, Lino and himself. With their glasses raised, they toasted their new business arrangement.

"Coyote, if you are serious about who you want running point between SAMCRO and SAMYORK, it would mean a lot to me if you and Lino sat down in church when we put it to a vote."

"Since we're going to be working in Lodi and Stockton, it makes sense." Coyote said. "We'll talk more about it at church. Keep us up to speed with the place and time."

Once Bobby, Quinn, Hopper, Montez and West had left, Lino looked to Coyote and asked, "What was with recruiting from the Redwood Original, Coyote?"

"I got my reasons for doing this, Lino. I just hope it doesn't end up costing me more than I think it will." Coyote said grimly.

* * *

While Chucky and Brooke were closing up the shop, Juice was smoking a joint in the corner booth. Considering the mess he had to clean up with Gemma, he really needed to unwind. Brooke walked up to Juice and put a bowl of jelly beans in front of him. The kind glance in her eyes was non-judgmental and a welcome change to the looks of disdain and suspicion he seemed to see looking at him from the other Sons. "Thanks, Brooke."

In his haze, Juice did not notice Chibs and Bobby walk into to the candy shop until they walked right up to his booth and sat down across from him.

"What's going on, guys?" He was so mellowed from the weed that fear was almost non-existent as the two officers sat down in front of him.

Chibs said nothing while he lit his own cigarette, his eyes burning a hole right through Juice. Bobby decided to start the conversation off. "Just got back from a meeting at Indian Hills with Coyote from SAMYORK and Lino from SAMCAGO."

Juice put up a surprised expression, praying it would be believable. "Coyote? How's he been?"

"Pretty good. He and Lino agreed to seal the deal for importation from New York and Chicago to Charming. They're coming to Charming to help us get started with speaks in Stockton and Lodi."

"Coyote had some conditions." Chibs said while, in his mind at least, trying to figure out what Coyote's end game was.

"What kind of conditions?" Juice asked timidly.

"He wants you to transfer to the New York Crew." Chibs said directly.

Of all the things it could have been, that was the one Juice never saw coming. His jaw dropped when he heard that and the joint slipped out of his mouth. Bobby picked it up, closed Juice's mouth and put it back in.

"Aye, Juicy. He wants you to run point for every shipment from SAMYORK to SAMCRO." Chibs cut in.

"Why me? What do I know about liquor?"

"I wondered the same thing. Why you? Next to you, Coyote is a specialist on moving liquor and peddling it. Not only did he want you to transfer, he wants you healthy and alive." Chibs said, mystified at how many times Juice was slipping the noose. "We're having church on Friday night to vote on your transfer along with our expansion into booze. Coyote and Lino will be there so clean yourself up by then, Juice."

With that, Chibs and Bobby left Juice with his thoughts.

* * *

Within the time they had, Coyote and Lino helped set up the Stockton and Lodi speaks without much trouble. Since her retirement from active service, Collette Jane had no reservations of having a speak underneath her escort service and massage parlor. The one in Lodi required some work but after running out the dope fiends and peddlers, they were able to set one up behind a billiards hall. Coyote was insistent on operating times and when the lights could be kept on since they would have to siphon power from the city's main source without drawing unwanted attention from the authorities. With Barosky's help, they were able to find club-friendly health inspectors who would help keep them up to code.

For the whole time Coyote and Lino were in town, Juice never spoke to them directly or even saw them. It was only on Friday night when they arrived at Scoops 'n Sweets when he came face to face with them. The Sergeant at Arms from Chicago looked at Juice indifferently as though his turmoils were small potatoes to him. It was different though with the Secretary from New York, who embraced him as a brother. "Coyote." Juice said solemnly.

"Hello, Juice." Coyote spoke to him warmly and looked at him with kindness.

Juice nodded silently before Tig interrupted. "It's time. Come with me."

Upstairs, Coyote and Lino were met by Brooke and Chucky who each held a box. "Cell phones and other electronic items in here. You'll get them back after church." Tig instructed.

After leaving their cell phones and iPods outside with Brooke and Chucky, Lino and Coyote joined Quinn and Tig inside with the rest of SAMCRO. While Juice sat in his usual chair, the visiting members (Quinn, Coyote, Lino) sat in chairs at the foot end of the table with Coyote at Quinn's left and Lino at Quinn's right.

Bobby and the rest of SAMCRO, though they did their best to stay on point, were rocked by the discovery of Gemma and Unser's bodies in the trailer on the TM lot. Since then, business at Teller-Morrow had slowed to a halt. If they didnt' get it back up and running, they would have to start selling candy and ice cream at Scoops 'n Sweets to cover expenses. The only thing they knew about the crime was that it happened hours after Tara's murder. What they did not know, what was not disclosed by the Sheriffs Department, was that the murder weapons were found underneath the trailer.

"Tonight, we got members of the Chicago, New York and Nomad charters with us today. First order of business: After some deliberation and having reached out to Albino in New York and Harris in Chicago, SAMCRO is going to take a foothold in booze. Chicago and New York have both profited from speakeasies in their respective territories along with importing goods from up north, down south and across the pond." Bobby motioned to the end of the table to acknowledge the visiting Sons. "On that, I want to thank Lino from Chicago and Coyote from New York for helping us get set up in Lodi and Stockton. Today, we have one in each town. In the future, if things get better, we might have 10 or more in each town."

The rest of the Redwood Original pounded the table in applause and thanks. Bobby saw the look on Coyote's face and decided to move on.

"The next order of business tonight concerns a member of SAMCRO. In hopes of pushing through with the importing business, SAMYORK is calling for a member of the mother charter to transfer to the New York Crew. Reached out to Albino just yesterday and he signed off on it."

Happy was more than surprised. "Who are you sending up, Bobby?"

"That's what I'm going to bring up to a vote now, Hap." Bobby said, looking to each member as if he were about to pick one out from the table on the spot. The moment his eyes locked on Juice's, Bobby then looked to the others and said, "All in favor of Juice transferring out of SAMCRO and becoming a member of SAMYORK?"

Tig and Happy hesitated for a moment but they said Yay. Hopper, Montez and West did not really know Juice well enough to hesitate about it so they said Yay. Chibs simply said Yes and walked out of church. Rat Boy looked at Juice and said, "Bon Voyage, Juice. Yay." Bobby then sealed the majority vote with a slam of the gavel. "Coyote, you got your Son."

Coyote walked up to Juice, extracted a stiletto knife from his cut and handed it to Juice. "Say Adios to the RO and California patches, Juice."

Juice seemed to stall for a moment before he took the blade and cut the California bottom rocker and the Redwood Original patches from his cut.

After church, Coyote and Lino did not stick around to have a drink or a bite. They quickly took Juice to his house, where he quickly packed his clothes and other personal effects. The rest was left behind.

* * *

Lieutenant James Ramsey, the interim successor to the late Eli Roosevelt, arrived and immediately went to work on looking at the crime scene photos and getting the lay of the land when the results came in from forensics and ballistics.

The bullet pulled from the body of Wayne Unser matched the Smith & Wesson Triple Lock revolver and the bullet taken from the body of Gemma Teller Morrow came from the Webley Mk VI revolver. They now had murder weapons. The fingerprints they found on the grips and triggers gave them their culprit.

Juan Carlos Ortiz.

* * *

Jax's mind was already turbulent with the last thing he saw before being taken away by the feds as well as everything going on outside the walls of the prison he was now confined to for the next 7 to 25 years, including the well being of his sons.

It was times that these that he could not imagine things getting any worse and then finding out that things could get worse. The news about his mother's murder as well as Unser's murder struck him hard because there was no one left to stand as legal guardian for Abel and Thomas.

That was until Wendy showed up to visit him with some paperwork. When he asked why she planned what she did, the only response from her was, "This is probably the only right thing I have ever done. It's not for me or you. It's for Abel and Thomas. Make sure those fellas are here to sign off on it."

That would be the last time he would speak to Wendy Case. Two days later, she would be found somewhere in Tacoma. The autopsy would read accidental drowning when she fell asleep in the bathtub after taking two sleeping pills with a two finger shot of Captain Morgan rum.

At the same time her autopsy was performed, Chibs and Happy visited Jax. Condolences were given before Jax was brought up to speed on what happened on the outside.

"Bobby is getting into liquor?" Jax asked. "What brought that up?"

"He looked at Chicago and New York. Between them, he thought we could do just as well as they could." Chibs said. "With everything that's going on, if that doesn't pan out, we might have to actually work in the candy store to earn legit money." Jax chuckled a bit at the idea of Tig looking like some deranged ice cream man behind the counter.

"They helped set up a blind pig or two here and there. We had to make a move to earn something until we can reopen Teller Morrow Auto Repair." Happy said.

Though it was not said out loud, Jax sensed that there was something else they were not saying. "I heard there was a fire. A brother's house burned down. Is he alright?" Despite what he was saying, there was not much concern for the Son in question and Chibs felt the same way.

"No one got harmed." Chibs said. "Who visited?" Jax asked.

"Family from New York and Chicago." Chibs said.

Jax said nothing in response to it as he passed to Chibs and Happy the paperwork left behind by Wendy Case. Looking through them, Chibs and Happy were surprised to find that they each were named godfathers to Abel and Thomas. "I trust the both of you with my life. Now I'm trusting you with the lives of my boys. Can you bear that weight, brothers?"

"With our lives, Jackie." Chibs said while Happy nodded silently.

"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, was it Frank and Al that stopped by?" Jax asked, referring to SAMCAGO President Albert 'Al' Harris and Frank 'Albino' Nerta, the newly appointed SAMYORK President.

"Harris sent his right hand and Albino sent his bookworm." That was code for the Sgt. at Arms and the Secretary. Jax instantly knew who it was that got Juice out from under his thumb.

"They are not up to speed with what happens in California." Chibs said as he and Happy waited for Jax's response.

"My mom once tried to move a plant from a nursery to natural soil once. It went into shock and died because it could not adapt to being back out in the open. It probably had something to do with it's roots being put into unfamiliar soil." Chibs and Happy knew exactly what was being told to them.

Juice was now a hunted man by both the law and the MC.

* * *

A/n: In case anyone is wondering, SAMCAGO is the abbreviated title for Chicago SoA. It's the best I could come up with and it's better than SAMCHI.


	2. Chapter 2

Bullets to Bottles chapter 2

* * *

It was a long ride from Northern California to New Orleans for Juice, Coyote and Lino. More so for Juice since he was riding away from the very charter that would have sooner introduced him to Mr. Mayhem than help him back up.

Before leaving Vegas, Coyote performed an intervention of sorts. It involved him cutting down Juice's motorcycle in a hailstorm of bullets from his Thompson 1928A1 submachine gun. When Juice asked why he did it, Coyote said, "That bike was what you rode in California and that road is behind you along with all your old ways."

Lino then gave Juice the keys to a Vivid Black Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide with blacked out highway bars and custom fairing with the SoA Reaper on the sides of it. Before Juice could thank him for it, the SAMCAGO Sergeant at Arms pulled him close and whispered, "This is a new start for you, Juice. Do not make Coyote regret sticking his neck out for you."

For the trip, Coyote left his Seventy Two Sportster at home and took his Street Bob with custom 14" ape hangers and saddle seat for long distance comfort. Lino preferred his Dyna Street Bob with Z bars. With that, they rode out to meet the future head on together.

* * *

SAMNOLA, the New Orleans charter of the Sons of Anarchy MC, welcomed them with open arms. They insisted on sharing some of their famous Southern Hospitality, which was accepted graciously by the visiting Sons.

Juice opted to set up camp at the bar where he silently nursed a beer. Since Tara...went away, he had not been getting much in the way of sleep. There were also moments where he found himself standing in the lot of Teller Morrow Auto Repair, holding guns he never held before. Guns that had just been fired.

A large hand landing right on his shoulder both shook him out of his mental funk and made him jump half a foot up from his seat. Turning to his left, Juice saw the face of Hank 'Swamp Man' McCoy looking right at him as he sat next to him.

"You look jumpy there. Ain't nobody here who isn't a friend or brother to ya."

"Sure, Swamp Man." Juice said as he went back to his beer.

"I heard about what happened on the road. What was it that got you so spooked?"

"I've been through a lot on the West Coast." Juice said, hoping he wouldn't dig any deeper.

For as long as Hank could remember, SAMNOLA threw some of the finest MC parties seen in New Orleans. No one, if any, had a frown or felt pensive at a SAMNOLA party. To see a brother, even one he never really knew personally, feeling down at the party sent up a big red flag for the Bayou born Son.

Without asking anything, Hank took the bottle from Juice. "Young man, if you're planning to knock out whatever it is that's taking up space in that place between your ears, it's gonna take something a lot stronger than beer." Waving over one of the bartenders, Hank said, "Darlin, go in the back. Fetch me a jar of my best."

She smiled and went into the back room of SAMNOLA's bar. A few moments later, she returned with a quart jar full of Hank's infamous shine and a rocks glass. Opening the jar, Hank poured a two finger shot of shine and put it right in front of Juice. "This will put steel in your spine, hair on your nuts, fire in your gut and light in your eyes."

Juice looked at the drink in the glass for a minute, drank it and instantly regretted downing the whole thing in one gulp. In a split second, he spat out what did not go down his throat, which was now on fire. Once he got a handle on himself, Juice sat down while trying to catch his breath. Hank slapped Juice on the back. "How d' ya feel, brotha?"

"Like I just ate a super nova that fell from the sky."

"Yeah. Good stuff, ain't it?" Hank said rhetorically before quickly changing topics. "I heard from Quinn that Coyote wanted you to transfer up north. How does it feel to be going back home?"

"I thought I had a home once. I don't know what I think anymore." Juice said, knowing that Coyote did just that and much more.

Hank shook his head. That was the kind of talk that he would have normally heard from a Son who wanted to go Nomad. "I don't know why he did it but Coyote did not pull you out of Charming to have you bellied up at a bar, drowning your liver in hooch." Getting up from his seat, Hank went behind the bar, popped the caps off two Coronas, handed them to Juice. "You see those two girls playing pool over there?" Juice looked over at the billiards table in the corner and saw two sexy women playing pool. One was a brunette and the other was a blonde. Both looked like they frequently went to a gym and a tattoo parlor. "Yeah."and said, "You need to remember what it means to live."

When Juice finally got his throat burn under control, he took the Coronas from Hank and walked over to them.

* * *

It was a surprise to him when Ally Lowen paid him a visit. She feared him now as much as she did when he had her cornered in Unser's trailer. The security cameras and the guards outside did nothing to assuage her fear of the SAMCRO President who was now an imprisoned widower.

"I heard about what happened. For what it's worth, if it's worth anything to you at all, you have my deepest condolences, Jackson."

He did not speak to her. Not so much out of anger as it was a matter of having nothing else to say that could or would change anything.

"I tried to tell her that what she was doing, what she planned, was a felony. Nothing went through to her. I did not want to hurt you or your children, Jackson. After we last spoke together, I called her. Told her that you were not in the dark anymore about what was going on. She fired me."

"If this is some sort of conscience clearing confession, save it. I've lost more than you can imagine and nothing you are going to tell me is going to change anything."

"You do not get any attorney-client privilege on what I say next, Jackson. Also, you can not do anything to me without ruining the one chance you may have at going home to your sons and the club. Tara did terrible things to you. She lied to you about her pregnancy, set you against your mother and took off with your boys. I do not have any condolences for you, Tara or Gemma. The only ones I send my condolences to are Abel and Thomas. They are the only innocents involved in this."

With that, Lowen knocked on the door and was escorted out, leaving Jax all alone again with his thoughts and inner demons.

* * *

The sun had long since set when they were close to the border between Texas and Louisiana. It was around midnight when Coyote, Juice and Lino pulled over one of the first and few times that Juice ever had to camp out under the stars while on a run. For Coyote, it was nothing he had not done before.

After Coyote had started a fire, Lino started prepping a tin of beans while Juice looked through the rations. "Rye bread, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Asiago cheese, Bacardi Gold rum, tins of black beans, trail mix, pears, peaches and mushrooms."

Lino grabbed them from Juice's hands. "They're Portobellos, Juice. Not the trippy mushrooms you're used to back on the West Coast." Lino turned his back to Juice as he used his bowie knife to chop up the mushrooms so they could mix well with the beans over the campfire.

"Lino, go easy on him. It's the first time, I imagine, that he's been out here like this." Coyote said, taking a quick swig of the Bacardi Gold rum before offering a shot to Juice.

"Yeah, Coyote. It is." Juice said as he gratefully accepted the drink. "Why did you want me to transfer up to New York, Coyote? What am I going to do for you?"

"You reached out for help. I saw a chance to help the club and you at the same time." Coyote said before turning to face his fellow New Yorker. "I do not know what you did back in California but I know the sound of a man tortured by his own guilt and secrets." Putting an arm around Juice's shoulders, Coyote said, "It's time that you found your way back home."

"How is that? Going back up to New York after all this time?" Juice said.

"Flynn knows about your father. He wouldn't be a very good Intelligence Officer if he didn't." Coyote said directly. "That means everyone in SAMYORK knows too. That does not mean you're going to get the cut ripped off your back."

Juice looked at Coyote and asked, "How did you do it?"

"I proved myself many times in New York to earn the respect and love of my brothers. It helps that I had a good sponsor to teach me."

Once they finished their meal, Coyote quickly put out the fire. "Mount up. We got to get to Chicago tonight."

"What's up, Coyote?" Lino asked. "We're out in the woods. No one knows we're out here."

"Except for anyone who knows how to follow us. The longer we stay out in the open or away from a clubhouse, the more open we are to an attack. For Juice's sake as well as ours, it's Chicago or bust."

Coyote, Juice and Lino rode off into the night as though they were being pursued by some unseen threat.

* * *

Claire was on her prepaid cell phone while Marilyn was showering. "Yeah. We got here. Yes, we did. Juice never suspected anything. So I guess you'll be going after him once they get on the road." Claire paused for a moment, listening to what was being said to her.

"Do we have anything to worry about from Coyote? I hope not. I'm not proud of this. Just make sure you come back home alive." Claire hung up the phone just in time for Marilyn to walk out of the shower, drying herself off with a towel without even bothering to cover up.

"They're on their way." Claire said almost out of resignation.

"How do you think it's going to pan out?" Marilyn asked.

"It won't end well for someone. I can tell you that for sure." Claire said as she and Marilyn walked off to bed together. The tracking device they put on Juice's cut more than marked the mohawked Son for Mayhem.

* * *

A/n: Sorry for the delay. I kept being led in different directions about the second chapter. It took a long while before I could get something nailed down. In contrast to most stories that cover Tara's murder, Gemma's culpability and Jax's grief, Gemma is dead and Juice has the chance to be saved or put out of his misery. Only time will tell. Leave a review if you can but please be constructive in your criticism. Do not burn me on the reviews, anonymous or otherwise. Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Bullets To Bottles Chapter 3

A/n: With everything that happened at the end of Season 6, I thought that this story would try to give a ray of light for one of the many characters slated to meet Mr. Mayhem. The character introduced at the beginning of this chapter is of my own creation, not Kurt Sutter's. If that were the case, he would have killed off my character before anything could happen.

* * *

It was ten minutes past midnight as Mercedes Elago Blanca, Mercy to the Chicago Crew, wiped down the counter of the bar in the Rec Room of SAMCAGO's clubhouse. Keeping the bar clean and stocked was one of the ways she earned her keep. As she was checking the drink inventory, Lino arrived with Coyote and a dark-tanned Puerto Rican. Mercy smiled at the Italian Sergeant at Arms and the SAMYORK Secretary. "Lino, Coyote, you guys look beat. What can I get you?"

"Rum for me and Coyote. A beer for our friend, Mercy. It's been a long ride up from New Orleans." Lino said.

Mercy took the three bottles and two rocks glasses from the bar and brought it to the corner booth the three Sons sat down in. "Coyote, es un placer como siempre verte. Por que estas en Chicago?"

"Un reunion con mi amigo aqui desde California." Coyote said, gratefully accepting the Bacardi Gold rum. "Juice, this is Mercy. Mercy, esto es mi hermano en el club. Su nombre es Juice."

"Un placer conocerte, Juice." Mercy said to Juice, unaware that the young man with the mohawk did not speak very good Spanish if any at all. "Tú no hablas ni una palabra de Español, ¿verdad, amigo?"

"I know you called me friend. Does that help?" Mercy looked at him softly before serving Lino his black spiced rum. "Lino, hai chiamato tuo moglie e la figlia ancora?"

"Non ancora." Lino responded.

Juice was more than surprised that Mercy knew how to speak Italian as well. Mercy smiled at him before putting the Budweiser bottle in front of Juice. "I learned a bit of Italian the first month I spent here in Chicago. Just enough to hold up a conversation. As for Spanish, I had a Cuban father and a Puerto Rican mother to teach me. Where are you from?"

"I'm a Puerto Rican from Queens." Juice said with some trepidation. "We just got in from California."

"I'm from Key Largo. Grew up on my uncle's fishing boat. That's where I got my love for the sea,fishing and rum. I know what it's like to be far away from where you started." Drawing her own shot glass from around her neck, Mercy silently asked Coyote for a shot from his Bacardi, which he graciously gave her.

"I was 8 years old when I had my first shot of rum. Since then, whether it was a good day or a bad day, I never went dry."

"Mercy, estoy cansado. Hay una cama vacio en la casa para mi?" Coyote said. "Sure, Coyote. I think there are a few empty bunks I can scratch up for you and Juice. Grab your drinks and follow me."

Mercy led them down the hallway until she opened a door to her right. "Coyote, make yourself at home. I'll call Angie and let her know you got in safe and sound."

"Thanks, Mercy." Coyote said before walking into the room and closing the door behind him.

Opening another door that was three doors away from Coyote's, Mercy motioned for Juice to enter. Upon entering, he noticed that the room smelt strongly of Egyptian Musk.

"Get your rest. Tomorrow, Al will want to talk with you and Coyote. I hear Swamp Man might be in town by then if he's not already in town now." Mercy said. Just as she was about to leave, Mercy saw the look in Juice's eyes and saw more than what he was about to admit to anyone. "Juice, whatever mess you have in your head, make your peace with it before it kills you."

"What makes you think I have..." Juice started before Mercy said, "I know that look on your face. No one wears it without a skeleton or two in their closet." Walking over to a liquor cabinet set up in the room, Mercy took out a bottle of Bacardi Select, poured a two finger shot of rum into a tumbler glass and handed it to him. "Drink it."

The look on her face showed that it was not a request. So rather than to make someone else mad at him, Juice drank the shot of rum quickly. "Good boy." Mercy said as she patted him on the head like he was her pet dog. "Now get some sleep. If you are still breathing in the morning, I might get a sweet butt in here to blow you before breakfast."

Juice looked at her with a bedazzled look at her offering him an 'oral wake up call' as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

A/n: I thought about pushing this further than this point but I found that what follows would have to take place in the next chapter and it was not for a lack of trying. In the next chapter, Juice visits his first speak in Cicero and it is soon discovered that someone does not want Juice to enter New York alive.


End file.
